Select a theme from the list and click Apply above the list. Alternatively, double-click the theme. You can then choose which aspects of the theme are applied over your configuration.

The options when applying a theme are:

• Directory Opus Colors: Colors from the Directory Opus Colors Preferences page. Affects colors of things Directory Opus draws itself.
• Windows Colors: Colors from the Windows Colors Preferences page. Mainly affects Windows controls like buttons and listboxes.
• Color Blending: Colors from the Color Blending page. Affects the way colors are blended together or over images.
• Images: Background images for various user interface elements.
• Fonts: Fonts from the Fonts page.

You can also choose to make an automatic backup of your current settings when applying a theme.

To create a theme from your current configuration, click the New button. You'll be prompted to enter a name and other information like author and a description. You can choose which parts of your configuration are saved in the theme - for example, you can save just colors without affecting fonts if you like.

You must provide a number of parameters when saving a theme:

• Theme Name: The name of the new theme. This is the name that will be displayed in the themes list.
• Description: This lets you provide a more detailed description of your new theme.
• Author Info: You can use this to provide some information about yourself (your name, or a copyright string if desired)
• URL: An optional URL that links to information about the theme (usually a link to its forum thread)
• Preview Image: This lets you embed a preview image in the theme file. This preview is displayed as a thumbnail in the themes list, and as a larger preview when your theme is selected in the list. It's good to provide a preview so that people you share your theme with have some idea of what they're going to get when they apply it.

  You can provide a preview image in three ways:

  • By browsing for an image file
  • By pasting an image from the clipboard
  • By taking a snapshot of an open Lister (drag the crosshair icon out)
• Content: These options let you choose which aspects of your configuration are to be included in the theme. For example, you may only want your theme to specify colors and images. The options you check will be included in the theme and when the theme is applied, only those aspects of the configuration will be changed.

Once you've defined your theme click the OK button to save it.

The Duplicate button lets you take the details from an existing theme, although note it doesn't clone that theme's color settings - only the information in the Save New Theme dialog is cloned. To make a full duplicate of an existing theme including its color settings, use the Duplicate button on the main Preferences page.

The Edit button lets you an existing theme. The Edit Theme dialog which appears lets you edit the theme's details, with an Update Content button which replaces the theme's color and font details with your current settings.

The Import and Export buttons above the list can be used to share themes with others. You can also drag themes to and from the list (except for the two default themes).

The Clean Up button above the list can be used to delete unwanted theme backups, as well as background images which are no longer in use. If you click it, it will give you a list of things you may want to delete and ask if you wish to do so.